How to Write a Polite Reminder Email: 6 Examples

“Gentle reminder” is a common opening, but the phrase doesn’t do much work on its own. The reader still needs to know what is due and what you want them to do.

Compare “Gentle reminder about the report” with “Could you send the final report by 3 p.m.? I need to include it in tomorrow’s client pack.” The second version makes the task and timing clear. You can use “please” or a friendly greeting without making the request vague.

Before a deadline

Subject: Reminder: project summaries due Thursday

Hi everyone,

A reminder that the project summaries are due Thursday, 8 October, at noon. Please add yours to the shared document under your team name.

If you expect a delay, let me know today so I can adjust the review schedule.

Thanks, Maya

This is a reminder of an existing agreement. If the date is new, call it a request and check whether it is feasible. Don’t describe a colleague as late for a deadline they were never given.

After a document was due

Subject: Outstanding document for the customer review

Hi Ben,

I haven’t received the revised account summary that was due yesterday. Could you send it by 11 a.m. today, or let me know when it will be ready?

I need it to finish the pack for tomorrow’s review.

Thank you, Ada

“I haven’t received” leaves room for a delivery problem. Check the shared folder and the original thread first; the recipient may already have done the work.

When you need a manager’s approval

Subject: Approval requested: workshop invitation

Hi Elena,

Could you review the invitation copy linked below before Wednesday’s planning meeting? The open question is whether we should include the full agenda or link to it.

My recommendation is to link to it so we can update the agenda without resending the invitation.

Thanks, Jamie

Including your recommendation can reduce the effort needed to answer. Be explicit about which decision belongs to the manager; don’t ask them to review an entire project when one sentence needs approval.

A client needs to send materials

Subject: Photos needed for the brochure

Hello Amira,

Could you upload the three product photos by Friday? The folder link is below.

If the photos aren’t ready, we can prepare the text layout first and confirm a new delivery date once we have them.

Kind regards, Theo

Offer an alternative you have authority to deliver. If missing materials will change the schedule, say so early enough for the client to make a decision. Avoid promising the original delivery date when you already know it is at risk.

A reminder before a meeting

Subject: Tomorrow’s onboarding review: agenda and preparation

Hi team,

Our onboarding review is tomorrow at 10 a.m. Paris time. We’ll decide which two changes to include in the next release.

Please read the two-page summary before joining and add any questions to the document. The meeting link is in the calendar invitation.

Thanks, Eva

If attendance was already accepted, you usually don’t need to ask everyone to reconfirm. Use the reminder to share preparation or a changed detail.

When there has already been one reminder

Subject: Re: Access for the reporting dashboard

Hi Rafael,

I’m still unable to access the reporting dashboard. Could you confirm whether my request is with the right team?

If access can’t be granted this week, a PDF of the latest report would let me complete the review.

Thanks, Nia

The fallback makes progress possible even if the original request takes longer. For more situations like this, see second follow-up emails.

How firm should the wording be?

For an approaching deadline, a friendly factual reminder is often enough. Once a missed commitment affects other work, state the impact and the next decision. “Please send the file today so we can keep tomorrow’s review” is firmer than “whenever you have a moment” and still polite.

Keep criticism of repeated delays separate from a routine reminder. A performance conversation needs more context than a copied email chain. If you’re the one who needs extra time, use a deadline extension request before the deadline passes.